Production of cereal sugar in loaf or block form



rece tacle of the which .the sugar Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES RAYMOND IE. DALY, OF HOMEWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN MAIZEPROD- UGTS COMPANY, OF ROBY, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

rnonncrron or CEREAL sueaa IN LoAr on 31 001: roam. v

No Drawing. Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND E. DALY, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Homewood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Production of Cereal Sugar in Loaf or Block Form, of which the following is a specification. The invention relates to the production of W cereal sugar in loaf or block form.

The crystallization of dextrose sugars, that is, su ars which are usually commercially produced from cereals, differs from the crystallization of cane and beet sugars in that the individual crystals are exceedingly fine and tend to form agglomerations which are more or less porous. Such sugarsare extensively used for manufacturi'ng'purposes and the like but have found comparatively small demand for home consumption. Many efforts have. been made to solidify dextrose sugar so as to put it in a more convenient orm for table and other domestic uses. So faras I am aware, however, no satisfactory method has heretofore been devised for roducing dextrose in compact loaf or block orm.

The object of thepre'sent invention is to provide an improved method of treating extrose sugar (and more particularly cereal sugar) so that it ma be readily formed into loaves or blocks 0 the requisite dryness and density which will hold their lump form; indefinitely without disintegration. 85 To this end, the invention consists in the improved method hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in'the claims, and n the product produced thereby. In preparing the dextrose sugar for treat- ;4 ment by the method of the present invention, the usual processes are used up to-the point where the sugar liquor is laced-in a centrifugal to separate the crysta s from'the. mother 1i uor. When the granular sugar is taken rem-the centrifugal, it contalns approximately from 12% to 14% of inoisture. The sugar is next laced in a form or uisite size and-shape a removable bottom and to and m cilyistals are sub ected to high pressure, usu by means of a by draulic press. In or er to avoid the necessity of adding fresh quantities of sugar to that which has been partially-pressed and 30, 1924. Serial No. 758,875.

of Stratification in the finished product, the form or mold is of such depth as to contain a suflicient quantity of unpressed sugar to give the requisite thickness of pressed sugar. Thus the form or mold is filled only once and the pressing is accomplished at one operation.

When the form or mold .is placed in the press with the required amount of granular sugar in the form, the hydraulic ram is let down on the plate covering the sugar with a pressure which at first is relatively low and may vary from to 150 pounds per square inch. This pressure is gradually raised until it reaches the most effective compressing point, depending on how hard it is desired the finished product shall be. In practice it has been found that highly satisfactory results are given by using a pressure which may vary from 200 to 500 pounds per square inch. At times pressures as high as 2000 ounds per square inch have been used. When the pressure has been raised to the requisite compressing point it is maintained at this oint for about three minutes, after which it is released and the bottom plate of the form is removed so that the pressed sugar me;

of the form by means of t e ram.

The pressed sugar, which is now in the form of a slab or cake, is next placed in a drying chamber in which the excess moistureis driven from'the sugar. perature ofthe drying. chamber is maintained at about 90 F. When the slab or be forced out The temcake of sugar leaves the drying chamber,

dextrose sugar into loaf or block orm which consists in, subjecting a mass of granular dextrose tohydraulic pressure which at first is relatively low, gradually increaslng the pressure until it reaches an effective;

compressing point which may range from about 200 to about 2000 pounds depending' on the desired hardness of the'finished product, maintaining' the ressure for about three minutes, drying t e slab of comp'l su'gar'so produced at a temperature 55 thus to eliminate division planes or planes oflabut-QOF. to remove execs moisture, 1 0

and then cuttin the slab of sugar into cubes or blocks '0 the requisite size.

2. The method of converting granular dextrose sugar 'into loaf or block form which consists in, takingjthe sugar from a centrifuge, the moisture of the sugar rang- I ing from 12% to.14%, placing the granular sugar in a mold or form having a remova ble top and bottom, subjectingthe sugar to pressure which is gradually-increased up to an effective compressing point which may range from about 200 to about 2000 pounds -de ending onr'the desired hardness of the fimshed' product, releasing the ressure, removing the bottom of the mol using the.

press in which the sugar is pressed to force the slab of compressed sugar out of the mold, placing the slab of sugar in a drying vchamber until the moisture is reduced. to about 8% to 10%, and then cutting the slab of su ar. into blocks of the requisite size.

3. he method of converting granular dextrose sugar into loaf or block form which consists in, subjecting granular. dextrose sugar'having a moisture of from 12% to 14%.to hydraulic pressure until the sugar is compacted to the reguired density and. then drying the cake 0 until its water content is reduced to from 8% to 10%, and finally cutting the cake of sugar. into blocks of the required size.

" 4. As an article of manufacture a loaf compressed sugar 

